EMBARGOED UNTIL: TUESDAY 12:00 (CET) 17 DECEMBER, 2002
Press meeting January 20th: First Light for Europe’s Virtual
Observatory
Imagine you are an astronomer with instant, fingertip access to all
existing observations of a given object and the opportunity to sift
through them at will. In just a few moments, you can have information
on all kinds about objects out of catalogues all over the world,
including observations taken at different times.
Over the next two years this scenario will become reality as Europe’s
Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (AVO) develops. Established only a
year ago, the AVO already offers astronomers a unique, prototype
research tool that will lead the way to many outstanding new
discoveries.
Journalists are invited to a live demonstration of the capabilities
of this exciting new initiative in astronomy. The demonstration will
take place at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Manchester, in the
United Kingdom, on 20 January 2003, starting at 11:00. Sophisticated
AVO tools will help scientists find the most distant supernovae -
objects that reveal the cosmological makeup of our Universe. The
tools are also helping astronomers measure the rate of birth of stars
in extremely red and distant galaxies.
Journalists will also have the opportunity to discuss the project
with leading astronomers from across Europe.
The new AVO website has been launched today, explaining the progress
being made in this European Commission-funded project:
http://www.euro-vo.org/
To register your intention to attend the AVO First Light
Demonstration please provide your name and affiliation by Monday 13
January to:
Ian Morison, Jodrell Bank Observatory (full contact details below).
Information on getting to the event is included on the web page
above.
Programme for the AVO First Light Demonstration
11:00 Welcome, Phil Diamond (University of Manchester/Jodrell Bank
Observatory)
11:05 Short introduction to Virtual Observatories, Piero Benvenuti
(ESA/ST-ECF)
11:15 Q&A
11:20 Short introduction to the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory,
Peter Quinn (ESO)
11:30 Q&A
11:35 Screening of Video News Release
11:40 Demonstration of the AVO prototype, Nicholas Walton (University
of Cambridge)
12:00 Q&A including interview possibilities with the scientists
12:30-13:45 Buffet lunch, including individual hands-on demos
14:00 Science Demo (also open to interested journalists)
For more information about Virtual Observatories and the AVO, see the
website or the attached fact sheets.
# # #
Notes to editors
The AVO involves six partner organisations led by the European
Southern Observatory (ESO) in Munich, Germany. The other partner
organisations are the European Space Agency (ESA), AstroGrid (funded
by PPARC as part of the UK’s E-Science programme), the CNRS-supported
Centre de Données Astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS), the University
Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France, the CNRS-supported TERAPIX
astronomical data centre at the Institut d'Astrophysique in Paris,
France, and the Jodrell Bank Observatory of the Victoria University
of Manchester, United Kingdom.
This is a joint Press Release issued by the European Southern
Observatory (ESO), the Hubble European Space Agency Information
Centre, ASTROGRID, CDS, TERAPIX/CNRS and the University of
Manchester.
Science contacts
Peter J. Quinn
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Phone: +49-89-320 06-509
E-mail: pjq@eso.org
Phil Diamond
University of Manchester/Jodrell Bank Observatory, UK
Phone: +44-147-757-26-25 (0147 in the United Kingdom)
E-mail: pdiamond@jb.man.ac.uk
Press contacts
Ian Morison
University of Manchester/Jodrell Bank Observatory, UK
Phone: +44-147-757-26-10 (0147 in the United Kingdom)
E-mail: im@jb.man.ac.uk
Lars Lindberg Christensen
Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre, Garching, Germany
Phone: +49-89-3200-6306 (089 in Germany)
Cellular (24 hr): +49-173-3872-621 (0173 in Germany)
E-mail: lars@eso.org
Richard West
ESO PR, Garching, Germany
Phone: +49-(0)89-3200-6276 (089 in Germany)
E-mail: rwest@eso.org
Background Information:
What is a Virtual Observatory? - A short introduction
The Virtual Observatory is an international astronomical community-
based initiative. It aims to allow global electronic access to the
available astronomical data archives of space and ground-based
observatories, sky survey databases. It also aims to enable data
analysis techniques through a coordinating entity that will provide
common standards, wide-network bandwidth, and state-of-the-art
analysis tools.
It is now possible to have powerful and expensive new observing
facilities at wavelengths from the radio to the X-ray and gamma-ray
regions. Together with advanced instrumentation techniques, a vast
new array of astronomical data sets will soon be forthcoming at all
wavelengths. These very large databases must be archived and made
accessible in a systematic and uniform manner to realise the full
potential of the new observing facilities.
The Virtual Observatory aims to provide the framework for global
access to the various data archives by facilitating the
standardisation of archiving and data-mining protocols. The AVO will
also take advantage of state-of-the-art advances in data-handling
software in astronomy and in other fields.
The Virtual Observatory initiative is currently aiming at a global
collaboration of the astronomical communities in Europe, North and
South America, Asia, and Australia under the auspices of the recently
formed International Virtual Observatory Alliance.
The Astrophysical Virtual Observatory - an introduction
The breathtaking capabilities and ultrahigh efficiency of new ground
and space observatories have led to a 'data explosion' calling for
innovative ways to process, explore, and exploit these data.
Researchers must now turn to the GRID paradigm of distributed
computing and resources to solve complex, front-line research
problems. To implement this new IT paradigm, you have to join
existing astronomical data centres and archives into an
interoperating and single unit. This new astronomical data resource
will form a Virtual Observatory (VO) so that astronomers can explore
the digital Universe in the new archives across the entire spectrum.
Similarly to how a real observatory consists of telescopes, each with
a collection of unique astronomical instruments, the VO consists of a
collection of data centres each with unique collections of
astronomical data, software systems, and processing capabilities.
The Astrophysical Virtual Observatory Project (AVO) will conduct a
research and demonstration programme on the scientific requirements
and technologies necessary to build a VO for European astronomy. The
AVO has been jointly funded by the European Commission (under FP5 -
Fifth Framework Programme) with six European organisations
participating in a three year Phase-A work programme, valued at 5
million Euro. The partner organisations are the European Southern
Observatory (ESO) in Munich, Germany, the European Space Agency
(ESA), AstroGrid (funded by PPARC as part of the UK’s E-Science
programme), the CNRS-supported Centre de Données Astronomiques de
Strasbourg (CDS), the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France,
the CNRS-supported TERAPIX astronomical data centre at the Institut
d'Astrophysique in Paris, France, and the Jodrell Bank Observatory of
the Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
The Phase A program will focus its effort in the following areas:
? A detailed description of the science requirements for the AVO
will be constructed, following the experience gained in a smaller-
scale science demonstration program called ASTROVIRTEL (Accessing
Astronomical Archives as Virtual Telescopes).
? The difficult issue of data and archive interoperability will be
addressed by new standards definitions for astronomical data and
trial programmes of "joins" between specific target archives
within the project team.
? The necessary GRID and database technologies will be assessed and
tested for use within a full AVO implementation.
The AVO project is currently working in conjunction with other
international VO efforts in the United States and Asia-Pacific
region. This is part of an International Virtual Observatory Alliance
to define essential new data standards so that the VO concept can
have a global dimension. The AVO partners will join with all
astronomical data centres in Europe to put forward an FP6 IST (Sixth
Framework Programme - Information Society Technologies Programme)
Integrated Project proposal to make a European VO fully operational
by the end of 2007.